Lightning-arrester.



moss. nation, \or new YORK, 1v. Y."

- LIGHTNING-Altamira.

Specification ot Letters r atent. Patented Sept. 26, 191 1.

' Application filed, October 5, 1909. Serial No. 521,085.

' Be it known that-I, LEON ST. 0mg BRhOH,

residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lightning-Arresters, of which the followmg 1s a specification:

This invention relates to lightning arresters, and one of the objects thereof isflto provide improyed connections and supports for the insulator which is interposed between i the line and ground.v A further object is to provide in the lineto-ground connectionan insulating member of very h gh'reslstance, and on" either side of thesame conductor members, the ma- 1 terials and relative arrangement of said 'members being suchthat the highest efiiciency of contact is. secured, while at the same time danger of interference with the insulating function 'of said intermediate member is avoided.

A further object is toprovide a lightning arrester which is an eflicient unity, and. which is yet capable of being connected with a similar unit in such manner that they shall have a common ground, the several ground pieces of the units being brought into electrical connection at the same time with and by the mechanical connection of the units.

Further objects and aims of the invention, more or, less broad, together'with the advantages inherent, will be in part obvious and in part specifically ad-verted to in the course of thefollowing description, wherein the elements, combinations, and arrangements of parts constituting the present invention will be fully set forth and the scope of the application thereofwill be indicated in the appended claims. I Referring to the drawings, in which I have illustrated merely preferred :forms of embodiment of the invention and its various contrlbutlng features: F igure 1 1s .a side elevation of a llghtmng arrester unlt'embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a frontview of a multiple unit lightning arrester,

made up by the mechanical and electrical connection of two such units as is shown in,

Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the sub ject view of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a detail perspective of the ground-plate, illustrating the interlocking members thereon; F 1g. 5 1s a view of another part of the 'line-to-groundconnection, illustrating. the means for sup portin thei'nsulation; and Fi is provided with binding posts 2 and 3, for connection with the line. A conductor plate 4 extends between and is' in electrical connection with the said binding posts, and the path of normal line currents is through said conductor. I I

5' indicates one member of the line-toground connection about to be described.

Said member, shown in Fig. 5 in detail, preferably comprises a fiat part 6, adapted to rest upon the line conductor 4, and apertured as at 7 for engagement with'the binding'pos't 2. Extending vertically from the part 6 is a member 8, which is provided with a punched-out-member 9, an over-hanging part .10, and side wings or flanges 11, which may be cut or punchedto give the device substantially the form shown in Fig. 5, the space defined by said members'9, 10, and 11, being adapted to receive a carbon block or the like conductor hereinafter referred to. the carbon being thus in electrical union with the line-plate, though mechanically separable. The member 5 is preferably of resilient metal, and shaped and positioned so that when in place as in Fig. 1, the upstanding part 8 presses forwardly, away from the part 6. The purpose of this arrangement will be explained later.

12 indicates in a general way the groundplate proper of my device, adapted to cooperate with the member 5 to hold between them the insulation which normally .prevents a short circuit Member 12 is preferably fo rmed 1 as indicated in Fig. 4, and comprises upright. members 14 and 15, and a connecting piece 16. The member 12 1s secured in position on the base 1 as by being screw-held thereon through the apertures 17, so that the connecting piece 16 is in opposed relation to the space between the parts, 9, 10, and 11' of member 5. In order that the ground plate may cooperate with the line-plate .5'in its function ofsupportmg 1nsulation between them, the member 12 13 provided with members 18 and 19, punched or cut. out therefrom and adapted to mechanically and electrically engage a carbon block or the like, hereinafter described.

5 With insulation in place between the carbon i be hard, and the conductors that en age it blocks, as indicated in Fig. 1, the same will be held between the members 5 and 12, as clearly appears from said figure, and will be firmly though not positively held because of the spring pressure of member 5, referred to above.

The ground-plate 12 constitutes the means of mechanically uniting several of the lightning arrester units, and to this end one of 15 the upright members, for instance 15, is

provided with a recurved extension 20. As is well shown in Fig. 3, in assembling the units the side member 14 of one unit is engaged with the hook 20, thus forming a mechanical union. It will be observed that the very fact of mechanical union brings about electrical connection between the ground-plates of "the several units, so that only one connection need be made from ground-plate to ground, irrespective of the number of lines which may under extraordinary conditions discharge through their respective ground-plates, I may provide member 14 with an aperture'Ql, while I provide a screw 22 that extends through the members of the hook 20, and then by tightening the screw, th'e parts may be promptly united together. Furthermore, asshown in Fig. 8, when the multiple unit has been built up to the desired extent, the side of the hook, and the screw extending therethrough may be utilized as parts of'a binding post 23, by which attachment may be made of a conductor from the ground-plate, or rather +0 plates 12, to the ground.

The manner of using the device as thus far described is believed to be obvious from the foregoing description of parts, and it is apparent that I have provided a very simple, efficient, \and cheap lightning arrester unit, which is easily assembled in multiplied series without the necessity for addition or subtraction or manipulation of parts.

Proceeding now to another aspect of this invention, I shall consider the particular insulation which has been stated to be held between the line member 5 and the ground.- plate 12. This insulation is preferably supported between two blocks 24 and 25 which in turn are held within and by the appropriately formed parts of the line-plate and ground-plate as already described. Blocks 24 and 25 are preferably formed of carbon although I do not intend to limit myself to such substance. For instance, graphite or similar material may be employed in this relation. Between said carbon blocks I pro- Vide an insulating block of carborundum 26. The carbon blocks being clampedupon. 6b the carborundum, and the latter being a much harder material relatively, the surface carbon will enter the superficial interstices of the earborui lum, thus bringing about the highest contact etlicieney. It is of course immaterial whether the insulating member soft, or vice versa. It contemplates broadly the use of materials, of such relative qualities, and so united, that the superficial interstices of one are'engaged by corresponding parts of the other. At the same time the carborundum will effectually prevent short circuit from line to ground. except in the case of unusual currents on the line. v

IVhile I have described the contact blocks 2 and 25 as of carbon. and the insulating block 26 as of carborundum, I desire it to be understood that these materials are only typical. I contemplate the use of any high resistance material, but capable of with standing without destruction or serious injury the passage of unusual currents, and on either side of said high resistance material, a material of conductive qualities, so united to the opposed surface of the insulating member that the maximum of surface contact is secured. For instance, I might use carborundum or the like, and on either side thereof some metal which has been superficially united to the opposite surfaces of the carborundum orv like member as by electrolytic deposit, or by being brought into contact therewith while in a molten state, or by the exercise of pressure. The purpose of the carborundum or like high resistance material is in order that all possibility of any destruction of the insulation between the line and the ground may be avoided. If some insulator were used which would be destroyed or changed by the heat of abnorlnal currents, the material of the conductors on either side of the insulator, or the metal of the line-plate and ground-plate, might vfuse and form a short circuit.

In Fig. 6 I'have indicated a modification, in which I interpose between the conductors 24 and 25, which are preferably of carbon,

7 as already described, a pair of carborundulii blocks 27 and 28, and between these latter is held a she of mica 29, or the like, in order to more closelyapproximate a substantially perfect insulation.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments'of this invention could be made Without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It is also .to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention, which as a. matter of lana .the material ofthe'softer of said two memgua e,.might be said to fall therebet-weem avingthusdes'cribed my'invention what I;claim'a s 'new 'an'd desire to-secu're by Let-' ters.Patent,'is: v 1. Ina device or the kind'described, a air of carbon blocks, *fiarborundum block tween theinand insulating the onefrom h the other, and means for maintaining the jel ' hi h carbon blocks ineon-tact-with the carborun dum block under press I 2.In a device/of h kind described, a. rigidcarbon. ele's r. trode spring-pressed. oward the'first, and'a 'carborundum' block' interposed betweensaid device-of "the-lkindl'described', a

- hard nfateriaL'a'memberor relatively material and .rela'tivel good conductive qualities arranged at eit erside of said first members in close surface contact, and 'means A for connecting one offsaid last named mem here with ground;

4,. In a a, vice a marina. (nested, in

combination, aound plate, a pair-of members of relative y good conductivequalities and ofrelativ'elv softmaterial, an insulating member of relatively high resistance 'qua1ities and relatively hard-materialinterposed '.between said; first named members; and

a pair of opposedfmembers, one of which is connected with said-ground plate and the otherof-whic'h is'adapted to be connectedtm a line, for'holdingsald first named members in close surface contact with saidhigh, resistance material. I 5. In ,a device of the kind "described, in combination, an insulating member of rela tively hard material and of relatively high resistance qualities, provided. with surface" interstices, a pair. of'members of relatively soft material and relatively good conductive qualities disposed at opposite sides of said 'first' named member, means for pressing said last named members against said first named member so that the material of said last named members will enter'the interstices of the high resistance member and means for connecting one ofsaid pairof members with ground, 4 4 l 6. In a device of the kind-described, -a

' pair of opposed electrodes, one of which comprises a spring member, tin insulating member of relatively hard materiiiland. relatively high resistancev qualities, provided with surface interstices, and a member of relatively good'conductive qualities and relatively soft material adapted to engage with said high resistance member, said members an integrally being interposed between said electrodes'and held thereby in close surface contact so that tively hard material and relatively high 'resistance -quali'ties, -'and a 'pair of members of relatively soft material and"of relatively ,good conductive qualities disposedat opposite sides of said high. resistance member, said three members being interposed between said electrodes and held thereby inclo'se surface contact/so that the material of the softer members will"enter the surface interv a I stices of the'harder memb'e'n' stance member-for med of relatively 8 In a "lightni g'arrester, a ground plate having an mteglrally formed hook member and anjintegra formed member adapted I 3 toenter a s'imilarly formed hook member of named member, means for maintaining saidv anothe f htning arrester.

inte ra 1y formed hook member, formed member-adapted to entera similarly formed hook member of another lightningarrester, and a screw threaded through the parts of said-hook member.

having an provided with an upstanding member havmg a reversely turned part, and a second upstanding member, the latter of which is adapted to engage with a similarly formed reversely turned partof another lightning arrester a 11. In a lightning arrester, a ground plate provided with an upstanding member'having a reversely turned part, a second upstanding member, the latter of which is 10. In a lightning arrester, a ground plate adapted to engage with a similarly formed 'reversely turned part of another lightning arrester, and means for fastening. together the engaging parts of adjacent arresters. 12, A lightning arrester, comprising in combination, a ground plate provided with an upstanding member having a reversely turned part, a second upstanding member provided with'a slot, said last named member being adapted to engage with a similarly formed reverselyturned part of another lightning" arrestcr, and ascrew threaded through the reversely' turned part andextending through said slot for holding said "parts together.

In witness whereof, I aifix my signature ln'th presence'of two witnesses.

LEON s. BEACH,

' I Witnessesi B. 'W, -GoULnocK,

Homcseane, 

